According to The Information, Google might be preparing for a big move into gaming. The company is reportedly working on a game streaming service called Yeti, which would leverage the success of its Chromecast platform to deliver games without a download. This is all still very much rumor and speculation, but it could be a big business if Google gets it right.
Google would not be the first or only company offering game streaming. NVIDIA has GeForce Now, but that requires a Shield Android TV that costs almost $200. A Chromecast is $35. Sources tell The Information that Google’s hardware team has developed a game controller to pair with the service, and there’s also some work being done on a dedicated Yeti console based on the Cast framework. Presumably, it would also be cheap. We’re not sure what sort of games Google would stream on Yeti, but hopefully high-end PC games are among the offerings.
Game streaming is a viable option only for those with fast internet connections. The game is rendered on a remote server and the video is streamed to the user. Controller inputs are sent back upstream to control the game. If it’s done well, the communication lag is imperceptible. Doing it well isn’t easy, though. There’s also the issue of monthly bandwidth caps instituted by many ISPs. If all your gaming uses up your monthly allotment, you might just do local gaming instead.